


Grounded Birdie

by TheShipDen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Mer!Lance, avian!keith, hurt!keith, worried lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-05 11:42:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11012727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShipDen/pseuds/TheShipDen
Summary: Keith had searched for Shiro for a while, when an attack on a Galra ship goes wrong, Keith is thrown into the world of the merfolk. Thankfully, Lance saves the Avian and finds himself attracted to him and remains by his side to help. Keith figures out how he feels about the creature before him, resulting in feelings blossoming for the mermaid.





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this isn't too bad! I wanted to write about this for a while and I guess I finally worked up enough courage, tell me if my grammar Is wrong or something just sucks! Still getting a feel for writing about this stuff, ya know? Well, I hope ya enjoy!!!

Keith was an Avian, wings and all, like the many other Avians out there. Wings that stretched farther then any human arms and were far stronger then any normal birds. Avians were known for their gorgeous wings, like a mermaid is known for it’s tail and shining scales, but there was far more to an Avian then just a bundle of feathers and a human body. They had keener vision, their hearing just as sharp as the knife they carried with them slung around their shoulders, and were extremely agile. Keith was no acceptation. His wings were truly a sight to see, his feathers taking a more golden appearance with smudged black edges and light browns swirled into the mixture and made an amber color. When the light would hit them just right they would shine almost red, it was more unique then most. Often he was looked at strange because of his colors, and the fact that his flock had disappeared, leaving him alone. Luckily for him though, one of the Avians finest fighters, known as Shiro, took him under his wig and helped to raise the boy. Often it was difficult seeing as he couldn’t leave Keith alone anywhere for too long growing up because he had sever abandonment issues but no-one could blame the child, going on long lasting missions were just one of those difficulties, especially mission Kerboros. It ended with Shiro and the crew presumed dead due to a mistake Shiro had made but Keith wasn’t buying that, not even for a second. 

Keith worked hard to find where the Galra had taken Shiro, resulting in him dropping out of the garrison.The war between the mermaids and Galra was lasting longer then anyone had anticipated, Avians getting caught in the middle of it. More fledglings were invited into the Garrison to learn to fight to protect their own or to complete jobs that they were hired to do by the mermaids or Galra, ties had been long cut between the three. Mermaids weren’t to ask anything of the Avians as where the Galra, the mermaids of course didn’t like this new ban, having to work out the issue of imports they had been able to maintain because of the Avians. The Galra paid no mind to the ban, though the tensions where still high, it seemed as if everyone had forgotten about Shiro, everyone but Keith. 

____________________________________________________________

 

Lance chuckled as his friends swam past him, eager to check out the newly found crystal that was recently formed, it’s location was strange seeing as the crystals normally formed towards the heated vents of the bottom of the ocean. This one was produced towards shallower waters, sure the sun warmed the surface but it wasn’t nearly as warm as the vents. Pidge was chirping happily, their excitement clearly showing at the high pitched clicks and whistles, Hunk merely grinned as they swam closer and closer towards the surface. Perched by some coral there was the crystal, it’s mass was tragically smaller compared to the normal ones and it’s shine was dull.

“We better tell the Queen about this before the Galra try and take it,” Hunk voiced the thoughts that echoed around both Pidge’s and Lance’s heads, though they expressed no signs of worry. 

“Uh… Guys, I think they already detected the energy,” Pidge gave a small squeak seeing the shadow of a ship block the sun as an anchor sliced through the water and rooted itself shamelessly into the precious coral. It made Lance burn up with rage, The Galra always mistreated the ocean, never cared for it’s beauty or the creatures that co-existed inside of it. All they cared about was to dominate, it seemed, and they started with the merfolk. The bunch scattered for cover, trying not to be spotted, their cover being blown meant they would be captured and killed, maybe even tortured to reveal information. The idea made Lance shiver, his gills adoring the side of his face expanding, fins that normally sat down were raised along his tail. 

For once Hunk’s beautiful golden tail that shined with the sun, capturing it’s rays within it’s scales were made dull by the presence of the brutes above, Pidge’s seaweed green scales helped them blend in though the collection of the net that hung at their hips looked misplaced. Lance was glad to have his blue scales, the shades matching the oceans perfectly, unlike the common belief that a mermaid’s tail only held one color, it really held different shades of the same color, sometimes even blending with completely different hues to create a tropical type of look. Lance always envied the merfolk who came from the warmer and clearer waters because they were always the most beautiful, some even having their tails shaped differently but in the current situation, he found himself quite content with how he was. 

Sticking low to the sand, the trio swished their tails at steady slow beats and began to make their way away from the sighting of the crystal, once they made it to a bundle of rocks big enough to hide a blue whale they stayed still, afraid of traveling any further would get them spotted. Unable to hide his curiosity, Lance peaked up from the water, breaking the surface as he rose his human half out of the water, bright blue eyes staring fixated on the seen ahead, it wasn’t everyday merfolk saw anyone besides their own these days and that bored Lance. As a guppy he could remember hearing the beating of an Avians wing and could remember seeing the blur as they flew by, the centaurs being long gone before he was born but if he listened close enough, it felt like he could hear the thrumming of their hooves pattering along with his heart beat. But this was far different from the friendly faces of the Avians or the gentle beating of hooves, this was the Galra, the slayers and monsters. Not many got to see one and return to tell of the tale so naturally, Lance took the opportunity to steal a quick peak before returning to the safety of the rock. 

 

“Lance, are you crazy! You”ll be spotted and get us all killed! Get back down here!” Hunk chirped desperately.

“ I will, just give me a tick, okay?” He called down as nonchalantly as he could. Hunk opened his mouth to say something else but Pidge had interrupted them. 

“Guys, call me crazy but is that-…”

“An Avain?!” Lance and Hunk both finished the sentence before Pidge has a chance to even muster the words. 

All eyes were locked onto the singular Avian in the sky, they shot down as quick as a shark jumping into air, a weapon in their hand. All rushed to the rocks to watch the showdown, the Avian’s wings shot out behind them, giving power beats as the winds buffeted the Galra troops, making them unbalanced. Acting quickly, the Avian swung with its weapon and managed to take the first troop down but was tackled to the floor by another, the Galra were now solely aware of the attacker and all went to help terminate the problem. It’s left wing hooked around the troop seated above them and flipped them over while snatching the gun from its hands before kicking it away with all the might it could muster. The merfolk were flabbergasted as they watched the winged one mow down the enemies before it, shooting the gun with deadly accuracy but with each troop knocked down there seemed to be a replacement there. Soon the avian was backing up, slowly getting cornered but as quickly as it seemed to be the end the fight continued with it taking for the skies. At the sudden motion the troops took fire, The avian tucked its wings in and maneuvered through the storm of fire but it couldn’t attack, its mind too focused on not getting hit. 

 

Lance’s mouth hung open clearly shocked and impressed, this one was successfully beating the Galra. The male avian grew tired of seemingly endless dodging and dived down once again, the fire didn’t stop and he didn’t either, Lance could make out some shots landing on the shoulder of its wing and he cringed. A shot to the tail was bad enough but a wing? Lance couldn’t even fathom the pain the other must be feeling, one glance at his comrades told him they were thinking the same thing as he was, all they could do was hope. Instead of opening their wings like last time, it rolled onto its back before jumping to its feet, lashing out with its knife while also firing the gun. The move seemed to buy them more time as the troops on the lower deck were rushing to meet the challenger, disappearing into the hull of the ship, all went silent for a moment, the only thing Lance could hear was the erratic beating of his heart. Finally, after what felt like ages, the avian returned, though they seemed more rushed, running straight for the bow of the ship they folded their hands in front go them and jumped. Powerful wings flapping less graceful then when he first arrived but he managed to get airborne, they didn’t get far when the ship’s deck erupted into smoke and fire, the hull collapsing as an explosion shook the waters. 

Unfortunately for the fighter, a single troop remained and fired straight at it’s back. Wherever the shot landed it made the Avian arch it’s back in pain, wings frozen in shock, straining to continue to beat and like a snatched fish, they fell into the water and sunk. The ship took longer to sink then the Avian and Lance found himself shooting forward into the wreckage. His tail kicked out behind him and left his friend frozen in their shock, Avians couldn’t swim. Avians could not swim. Lance felt like he owed the brave fighter his life, they could’ve been spotted or the crystal could’ve been taken to be used to fuel more attacks on his people. He felt obligated to at least save the mystery bird from drowning, using more muscle in his tail Lance willed himself to move faster, with wings that big he could bet it didn’t take long to sink. Upon arriving to where the avian submerged into the water, Lance saw the extend of its injuries but the troop from before just didn’t seem to give up. It was lashing out with the knife the avian had come with, the other was holding its hands at bay while a steady stream of bubbles left the troop and the avain's nose and mouth, the Galra managed to rip its hand free of the other’s hold and slashed at the wing. The avain’s lips turned into a grimace, it was now or never. 

 

Swimming the last distance to the fighting pair, Lance ripped the Galra troop off the Avian, thankfully his friends had shook off their earlier trance and were by his side in an instant. The avian’s eyes widened, though hurt and drowning they tried to get in a defensive position, Pidge and Hunk wrapped their long tails around its purple body and descended into the oceans depths. Lance looked at the avian once more drawing closer, he nearly got punched if he hadn’t dodged the clearly aimed fist. The other’s eyes drooped, sparking a panic in Lance, they didn’t have much time and they both knew it. The avains motions slowed, wings dragging them down even further into the ocean’s depths and Lance wasted no more time in wrapping an arm around the winged-one’s waist, putting their arm around his shoulders, the other seemed to get the idea and held onto him as best as they could. With a few flicks of his tail Lance had gotten them to the surface, his ‘passenger’ made no move or sign that they had breached the water. Swearing under his breath, Lance took off for the rocks they had previously hid behind, thankful for the small cave hidden between the great rocks’s cracks and edges. 

Going to a rocky ledge that was smooth enough for his new companion, Lance pushed them onto the stone, rolling over their limp being before hoisting himself out of the water. He moved to cup the creature’s face, it was cold, skin dulling and losing it’s color as their lips turned to a shade of unnatural blue, moving his hand down towards their chest he checked for a pulse. Surely, If he had one then this Again had one as well? They weren’t that different, right? The sudden disturbance of the water told him that Pidge and Hunk were returning from their task, the atmosphere eerie as their eyes looked at the paling avian, Pidge was first to break the silence. 

“Avians can’t breath under water, right? So maybe we need for him to breathe air?”

“I-It’s worth a shot,” Lance whispered, turning his gaze to Pidge. “How do we do that?”

“ Well, if we take in oxygen through our gills then they must take in their oxygen somewhere.” Pidge pushed a piece of hair out of their face, preferring to be back in the water where their hair wasn’t an issue. 

“I saw that bubbles were coming from their nose and mouth, does that help any?" Lance sheepishly put in, wanting to hurry up this whole process incase they really couldn’t save the Avian. 

“I remember a story one of the elders used to tell me about how they saved a human from drowning.” Hunk chipped in, looking a little embarrassed at what he had just said, Lance barked orders for Hunk to tell him what to do and once given the instructions he went to work. 

Placing his hands on the raven-haired male’s chest, Lance scooted closer to them and began to push down harshly on their chest asking Hunk if this was a the right thing to do, getting a small shrug he continued until the once limp body surged forward. Hand flying to their mouth as their whole body rocked with coughs, hacks, and water poured out of their mouth like a river. Lance, startled by the quick suddenness of the stranger, leaped back into the water. One remaining look at the bunch and the Avian gave a groan before collapsing to the ground, wings opened and soaked along with the rest of their body. 

“Pidge, Hunk, could you cover for me back at home? We can’t let anyone know about this or what happened or we’ll get in serious trouble!” 

“What!? Lance you can’t be serious about taking care of this- this- Avian! I say we all just go home, eat and forget this ever happened. Who’s with me?” Hunk spoke with their eyes wide, looking between Pidge and Lance. 

“We can cover for you but you’ll have to show your face every once in a while.” Pidge quickly countered, more interested in finding out more about their new winged friend then their actual well-being. 

“Thanks Pidge, I owe you and Hunk a favor.” Lance sighed, suddenly exhausted by the day’s events. The two murmured their goodbyes, giving a final look at Lance and the avian, silently thanking the stranger for their appearance before submerging into the water to make the journey home.

Shoulders slumping forward, Lance turned to look at his ‘catch of the day’. They had raven black hair that was much longer in the back then the front, though with the water making the hair stick to their face he was pretty sure the style wasn’t common amongst the merfolk, must be an avian thing. Gently moving the hair aside Lance stared at the stranger’s face, they had beautiful skin and their jawbone was very prominent, their lips looked just as soft as their wings and he was very tempted to test out that theory. He didn’t want to just start randomly touching the person from the start, he didn’t know how the avians work, what was okay and what wasn’t, he knew for certain he wouldn’t want anyone touching is tail without permission so he wasn’t about to run his fingers through their feathers, certainly wouldn’t peck their lips to see if it matched the feel of the feather, he wouldn’t even play with the jet black hair that looked ever-so tempting. Nope, he wouldn’t do it. Yet he found himself inching forward, hand slowing going forward with him as he stared down at the closed eyes, did all the avians have such pretty eyelashes like this one? 

____________________________________________________________

Keith remembered the fight, he remembered the explosion, he even remembered the merfolk that had killed his attacker before the rest turned into a blur. He felt hands brushing out his hair, the hand was warm and the flesh was so tender and soft, he leaned into the touch. It made him feel like he was back home with his mother, her scent was the only thing he could remember about her except for how soft her hands were and how gentle she’d hold him or touch him, he groaned, the pain in his wings severing the sweet memory like a glass shard. His eyes slowly cracked open, his vision blurry. The shape of someone was in front of him, turning his head he tried to blink away the cloud of haziness that dragged at his bones. His eyesight clearing Keith could make out tan skin, much tanner then he’s ever seen and brown hair with sky-blue eyes that caught the sunshine off the water, along their neck was three thin lines and where their ears should be was like weird webbing resembling a duck’s webbed feet, along the lines looked like scales and with a tilt of his head he found that their wrist was littered with scales. Looking back at the stranger's face he glanced down and saw millions of glittering scales that gleamed with the dim lightning of the cavern, fins at the his hips and a long blue tail that laid in the water even though the person-creature-merman was sitting beside him. 

Keith’s mind seemed to be slow at catching on, here was a merman looking at him expectantly, running their fingers through his hair. Keith’s heard of the rumors of the merfolk, hell even witnessed one a few minutes prior to now, but with the steady strokes of his hair he didn’t seem to be afraid. Sure the merman was quite the sight to see but that was all apart of the illusion so they could trick you into something or kill you, forcing himself to sit up he winced as the stabbing pain made itself know once again on his wings. 

“You shouldn’t try to sit up yet!” The merman beside him spoke, placing a hand onto Keith’s shoulder, the action was small and meant no harm but Kieth couldn’t be quite sure of that. Narrowing his eyes he shook the hand off and put distance between the two of them, staggering to his feet while panting with the effort. Lance admired his courage and tolerance, but he was only trying to help and the hostility from the Avian made him scoff. “Rude, its not like I saved your life or anything!!”

Keith blinked, confusion wrapping around his brain like a blanket, at the Garrison they were told to not believe a kind gesture by any other then your own fellow comrades, you never know what the other might want from you and even the smallest act can be taken accountable. 

“Why,” Keith’s voice was a little raspy from the salt water that had invaded his lungs, though it was a cold response all the same. 

“Why? Is that really all I get, is a ‘why’? Anyway the name’s Lance! And you might be..?” In an effort to seem friendly Lance smiled, showing off pointed teeth that was far from the normal ones Keith was used to. Despite his wariness, Keith couldn’t help but sigh and slump down to sit, drawing his wings to him with much effort. 

“I’m Keith.” The response was curt, the raven-haired boy turning to look at the damaged done. The tips and middle of his wings were completely burned and blistered, blood clotting around it but the remaining soldier's shot had hit him straight in the middle of his back where the two joints meet. Every movement from his feathery limbs made him ache all over, pain traveling through his body. He’d have to get the destroyed and splintered/stunted feathers out of the way for new, better ones to come in but that would take way longer then he could allow. Shiro was out there waiting for him, and Keith wasn’t about to sit in some silly cave with a merman while his brother was in Zarkon’s hands. 

His body ached and he had no energy left to move, not even to groom his feathers. His usually kept look was spent, feathers bent and burnt, skin bruised and blistered, and he was freezing in this cave. 

“Do you need any help with those..?” Lance offered sheepishly, a small gleam in his eye that Keith couldn’t quite tell what the other was plotting. 

“No. I don’t need your help.” Keith defended himself, no way would he allow for someone to touch his wings. Touching an Avians outer feathers was something for a friendly or family gesture, touching the inner, softer, more vulnerable feathers was as close you could get to a person. The middle where the wings joints connected was equally as sensitive, maybe even more so. Keith only wished Shiro was here, he was the only one who Keith had allowed the honor of touching, serving Keith’s way of telling Shiro all the things he wanted to say but couldn’t. He was never good with words. But Shiro seemed to understand, and in return, Keith also got to touch what no other had touched before. But here he was now, presented with some fish that wanted to touch his wings? It, to say the least, angered him more then Lance had expected.

Lance didn’t understand why Keith seemed so angry, if he beat a ship full of Galra soldiers and escaped with his life, he’d be pretty proud and beam with excitement but the thing Keith seemed to beam with was anger and pain. 

“Okay, jeez, you don have to bite my head off you know. It was just a suggestion.” Lance folded his arms across his chest, watching as Keith shivered and then grimaced, his heart twisted oddly. “I’m not gonna hurt you, you know. If I really wanted to I would’ve done so already or left you out there with that Galra dude. You’re safe with me.” 

Keith took what Lance said into deep consideration, in his tired mind, Lance seemed trustable and he did have a point. If Lance wanted anything from him then now would be the prime time to ask/take it but he didn’t, Lance merely kept his distance and tried to help him. If the weird hair stroking from earlier meant remotely anything then Keith was sure he would make it out okay. He just didn't have the energy to argue or protest any more, drawing his wings around himself for warmth, Keith settled down as comfortable as he could be, acutely aware of the merman watching him. With the warmth offered and the lack of energy, Keith had no trouble falling asleep. He’s find Shiro sooner rather then later, there couldn’t be that many Galra ships left to check.


	2. Getting something to eat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to update this weekly, if I can, so please stay patient with me!! I hope each chapter is worth the wait, but this week will be a little hectic for me seeing as it's summer and I'm gonna be visiting family, so I might need more time to finish it up. Hopefully you guys are okay with that!!

Lance watched Keith sleep, though it was hard to see their face or much of them because their wings blocked his view, Lance didn't appreciate the attitude they carried but he couldn’t blame the Avian. If he had gotten shot in the gills and tail, he wouldn’t be in the brightest of moods. Slipping back into the water without a sound, Lance swam circles for lack of anything to do, Keith seemed touchy whenever Lance had offered to help him out with his feather problem, maybe he had offended Keith and didn’t realized it, after all Avians were a mystery nowadays. Thinking back to the crystal Lance knew they’d have to move it pretty soon incase another Galra ship decided to drop by and he hoped that the oceans currents would sweep the wreckage of the Galra ship into the darker waters so it couldn’t be seen and in hopes be soon forgotten by all. That was what usually happened with ships, they sink and no one ever came for them. They were erased from history and existence, the only one who carried on their legacy was Lance. He’d go to collect things from the surface, stashing majority of what he couldn’t hide in his room in the chest he’d taken long ago from an old ship in a hidden cave along the shore. No one would find his treasures and they wouldn’t rust with time in the oceans salt. 

He felt hungry, no doubt Keith must be hungry too, but did Avians eat fish? Or were they like other birds unknown to Lance? Taking care of the Avian seemed to pose a more difficult mission then he originally thought, he’d just have to ask when Keith awoke next. Diving beneath the surface of the water, Lance’s tail carried him down and he swam out of the covered cavern, looking for something he could possibly eat. Diving down more, He thanked Neptune for the school of fish that swam close by, as quick as lightning Lance shot towards them and jabbed out with his long nails and managed to get a fish or two. Now Lance wasn’t a bad hunter, back in his shoal he helped the hunting party a few times but compared to the senior hunters, he couldn’t compare to how fast and how much they could catch. But something was always better then nothing, Lance would hear his mother remind him whenever he got discouraged, and he brought back the fish for him to eat. Keith was sleeping for a long time, the sun had sunken below the horizon long ago and the boy didn’t wake, Lance was scared that the Avian actually didn’t make it in his sleep but every now and then, Keith would shift or his wings would twitch and Lance would sigh in relief between famished gulps of his catch. He didn’t know why he was so worried about someone so different then him, or why he felt like he needed to stay, sure it would’ve been horrible to just leave Keith and Lance would feel guilty if he had done so. But something more was calling him to stay, the oceans push and pulls seeing to carry the same message. 

 

____________________________________________________________

Keith couldn’t tell how long he slept, just that his wings were cramped and the throbbing pain didn’t leave him. He opened his eyes weakly, they still felt weighed down by tiredness but he forced them to remain open, surveying his surroundings. For a minute, he had forgotten that he was in a cave and that he had gotten attacked not too long ago, but how long exactly was he out? The sun rose high in the sky, odd, the last time he saw it, it was midday and hung lowly in the clouds. He figured he must've slept for a long while and cursed, he was a little too rushed with this attack, suffering too many injuries. Just too many things had gone wrong and now he was stuck, wings damaged and in pain, he was still cold but the sun warmed the waters and the outside making it just the right temperature inside for him. He took a glance at his feathers, from his sleep they were ruffled all the wrong way, some clung together while others were just parted and it itched and felt unworldly uncomfortable. The outer side was clinging to one another and thrown in different directions while his inner feathers were matted and crusted with salt, the end tips of both sides were caked with sand. Keith knew he had his work cut out for him. 

He didn’t know how he’d get everything done with the burn on his sensitive spot, the joints were too tender to move, keeping Keith glued to his one position that he fell asleep in. He’d just have to wait until he could move with ease before grooming his wings but who knew how long that could take, Shiro couldn’t wait much longer without him! His jaw clenched, he was clearly frustrated with himself, the thoughts of advice echoing in his head that he’d received from his brother: Patience yields focus.

“I just have to focus on moving, take one step at a time.” Keith sighed, rolling onto his side and lazily pushing himself up. His muscles screamed their protest at the motion, he must've really overdid it this time, lips thinning to a line, Keith pushed through it and sat up. He eyed the ruffled feathers through the side of his sight, the feeling of its itch made him burn inside. How was he suppose to wait to fix the irritating feeling? It was driving him mad already. Everything seemed to need his focus right then and there, drowning in his many problems, it wasn’t helping the short temper Keith was famous for back at home. He was so caught up in his thoughts he failed to notice Lance resurfacing, the water parting as he rose from its shining depths, folding his arms on the ledge and resting his chin on it. 

 

“You’re awake,” Lance whispered a little shocked to see Keith sitting up though slumped. Heavy bags seemed to have formed under their indigo eyes, wait indigo? Lance hadn’t seen eyes such a color like that, they were dull yet held a fierce sharpness to them, making his gills quiver slightly. He wondered if the Avian could see into his soul, like the rumors told, Keith’s were just as sharp as the rumors had spoken and Lance did feel a little hot under it's gaze. 

“How long was I asleep for?” Keith paid no mind to the shock the merman seemed to be experiencing, instead turning the subject around slightly. 

“A day and a half, why?” Lance rose a brow, face scrunching as he witnessed a look flash across Keith’s face. 

“Why didn’t you wake me up!?” His voice carried on the wind, echoing back at him the words he had just spoken.

“Don’t get your tail in a twist, bird brain! You needed the sleep! Don’t be mad at me because you couldn’t wake up,” Lance countered back, his eyes narrowing. Keith folded his arms across his chest, huffing, this mermaid was starting to get on his nerves. “Anyway, I came to see if you were awake and since you are, I wanted to ask if you can eat fish.”

Keith simply nodded, trying to be as kind as he currently could, he didn’t completely trust Lance. The merman mumbled his departure and splashed lightly as he descended into the water, Keith flinched at the water that lapped at the ledge where he sat, did Lance have to do that or was it just to irritate him, maybe to show that he still could infact drown Keith if he was too rude. Making a mental note to not piss off Lance, Keith waited for him to return, when he did he dumped a few fish onto the ledge looking at Keith expectantly. Keith stared back, after a minute of full staring Keith noted that despite the merman’s arrogance, he liked their twinkling eyes. 

“Well, are you going to eat or just stare at me?” Lance pouted, sinking lower, the water was up to his chin, he felt self-conscious under the indigo eyes. 

“I can’t eat it raw.” Keith shrugged, the effort making him tense, right eye squinting as he fought to control the pain that burned his nerves. 

“Why can’t you?” Lance cocked his head to the side, swimming closer to the ledge and drumming his fingers along the rocky surface. He hadn’t heard of something so ridiculous, how else was he going to eat it? All merfolk ate fish raw, it’s taste was always savored and tingled their tastebuds, why was Keith so different?

“I’ll get sick from the uncooked meat, there’s bacteria and possible disease that I can’t afford to catch.” Keith informed, he sounded like this was common knowledge but it was all new to Lance. He had loads of questions he wanted to ask but he figure that could wait until Keith was fed, he didn’t want to stir up more trouble. 

“Okay so what are we suppose to do, then?” Lance froze, did he just say we? It wasn’t his problem that Keith was so difficult, maybe it was just because he felt sorry for the creature. 

“First, I need a fire and something to cook the fish on. Something, ya know, dry?” At the mention of a fire, Keith became aware of how damp his clothes still were. It clung to his figure, the chilly dampness sinking into his flesh and he shivered. A fire was definitely needed.

Lance nodded, holding off his questions for now, and decided to ask Hunk and Pidge for help. Pidge would probably know something and Hunk would come up with a good idea to help, flicking his tail Lance dove under once more and swam off, leaving Keith alone and to his thoughts. Lance was grateful Hunk and Pidge had covered for him while he was busy helping Keith, Pidge of course asking all sorts of questions whenever they were able to visit about Keith, wanting to know as much about the avians as possible but Lance was just as clueless as Pidge was. He certainly hadn’t learned anything about the avians except that this one in particular was quite moody. After a while, Lance saw the castle come into view, immediately he sped up his swimming. Being the prince of his people, and the youngest of his siblings, he often left to explore with his friends. His sisters were much more involved with royal duties then he was, so it wasn’t uncommon if he left for long periods of time and checked back in only to jet off yet again. It was just his style, but he was still still grateful for the support and trust his friends gave him, it meant more to him then anything. Before he knew it he was back within his own home, swimming towards the one place Lance was sure he’d find Hunk and Pidge, the kitchen. Slowing down his pace so he didn’t seemed too suspicious, Lance gave the two a grin. 

“So, how’s your uh, new friend doing.” Hunk asked as nonchalantly as he could, incase anyone was around to listen. Truth be told, Hunk was just as happy and as grateful as Pidge and Lace for Keith saving his scales but he was still iffy about the whole thing, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to help them. 

Lowering his voice to a whisper, Lance’s grin widened. “He’s awake, I need to get him stuff for a fire so I was wondering if you two happen to have or know what I should get..?” 

Pidge beamed, the net hanging around their waist swished as they leaned forward to Lance, voice just as quiet. “You need dry things, like those weird earth smelling things you find in the wreckages, and the drift wood you can find floating on the surface.” 

Lance gave their friend a quick hug, snickering, Pidge always seemed to have the answer. “Thanks, Seaweed tail, you’re amazing!” Pidge scoffed but twined their tails in the hug for a moment before pushing Lance away to ask the question that’s been wandering around their mind all day. 

“So can I see him? What’s he like? Can I touch his wings and his two tails? You think he has any gills or fins anywhere under his clothes?” Pidge fired off questions one after the other, eyes gleaming but frowned when Lance gave a shrug. 

“Slow down, I don’t know any answers but I know his name is Keith. But I wouldn’t recommend coming to see him so soon because he’s reeeaaalllly rude and I don’t think he trusts me. Having more merfolk around him would end in disaster!” Lance placed a hand onto his chest, adding to the dramatic effect before straightening up.  
“In all seriousness, I’m not kidding.” 

Pidge visibly deflated, this wasn’t exactly the answer they wanted but they supposed it would do for now. “Well, Lance, You better hurry and get out of here. Hunk and I can cover for you but if someone sees you, then who knows how long they’ll keep you doing royals duties.” 

“Oh, thats not a problem! I can always find a way to get out of them.” He scoffed, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Oh and Lance,” Hunk whispered earning the prince’s attention. “Promise you won’t like get too involved with the whole, situation, we have going on?” 

“ You have nothing to worry about, I got this.” Lance gave the two a reassuring smile before saying goodbye. How’d he get so lucky to have such good friends? Shaking his head clear, Lance knew he had to focus on the task at hand, getting dry things for Keith. But what could possibly catch fire? Sure Pidge had named a few things but what if those things didn’t work, what would he do then? He didn’t want Keith to be so cold and uncomfortable, Lance wouldn’t admit it to Keith’s face but he did save him and his friends from what felt like certain death, and he had gotten so banged up. Keith deserved a little good after all of that.

Instead of going back to the hidden cavern that Keith waited for him in, Lance swam the opposite direction. He’d hidden his chest full of wreckage treasures far from his home, wanting to keep them safe. He figured he’d have to haul the whole chest to Keith so the land-walker could decide what would work best for the fire because Lance had no idea, he lived in the sea, fires weren’t exactly a survival necessity. Lance swam beneath the warm surface water, flowing with the oceans currents towards his hidden paradise, the sun did feel nice but too much sun was never a good thing. He wouldn’t want to risk distorting his perfect complexion with a horrible burn, not many merfolk even went this close to the surface, but Lance was always the oddball. He enjoyed the warmer waters and sun, though there were times when his love for the surface had cost him his far share of troubles. Eyeing the approaching cliff face, Lance slowed his swimming to a much more relaxed pace, the cool water of the shadowed area releasing tension in his muscles, he sighed. He always enjoyed coming here, it was his own private get away when times were rough, sometimes even offering his two friends the refugee of his sanctuary. Taking a moment to just be to himself, Lance wondered how he would manage to get the chest to Keith. He could just lug it through the ocean but that might get the dry stuff wet and then the whole mission would be useless, then again if he carried it to the surface he’d look plain ridiculous and maybe even get caught by some human or oncoming Galra ship. Groaning, Lance had to make a decision soon, Keith better appreciate this.

____________________________________________________________

What was taking Lance so long? Keith wish he would hurry up so he could get warm, some heat on his wings wouldn’t be too bad, the idea made his feathers tingle in delight, masking the irritable itch caused by the ruffled feathers. He still felt incredibly tired for someone who had slept for almost two days, before he knew it he had fallen asleep slumped against the rocky wall of the cavern. The sound of some splash and something being pushed onto the ledge woke him up, he flinched but saw the familiar blue tail of Lance in the water which calmed down his anxieties. He was pushing a chest onto the rocky surface, panting with the effort, it looked dry except for the bottom part where water had lapsed up, soaking the wood. Raising a brow, Keith looked to Lance for an explanation as to why he had hauled a chest all the way here from God knows where.

“You said you needed dry stuff, so I thought there had to be something in here dry enough to use.” Lance explained simply, though there was a flicker of unease in those cerulean eyes of his. Keith felt awkward, this merman was really trying to help him, but no one did that unless there was something to gain. What could Lance possibly get from Keith?

“Thanks,uh, Lance. “ He muttered and leaned forward. He could feel the weight of his wings sprawled out limply behind him, the simple movement almost bearing to much for Keith as he clenched his jaw and rose to his full height. The more he moved his wings the better, they would heal, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be painful as all hell. Staggering over towards the chest, Keith seated himself in front of it, sighing at the relief of strain on his back. Opening the chest carefully, Keith rummaged through the things in the chest. Lance, to say the least, had it all. He had necklaces, books, mirrors, pictures, forks and spoons, plates (with and without cracks and chips) paper with the ink so smudged the writing wasn’t even readable, and so on. He even managed to have some spare clothes that appeared to belong to someone of a small size, Keith’s eyes slightly widened. 

“So,” Lance watched Keith’s expression slightly nerved. “ Is anything in there useable?”

“Yeah, actually.” Keith breathed, grabbing the smudged papers and books from out the wooden box. Standing up once again, the motion just as hard as before, he searched for a few good rocks to make a small pit for the fire and to help start it. Lance’s eyes followed Keith’s movements, watching closely as Keith held a hand to the wall for support while he walked, he felt sorry for him. A pang of sympathy stabbed his heart, those wings as big as they were, was the source of what held him here. The proud Avian was pained because of the famous wings his own people carried, it felt similar to twisting one’s tail.

Keith gathered the rocks he needed, making a small little circle and then putting the papers into the middle, taking the rocks and sparking the items. It took a few tries but he had managed to catch the ends of the paper aflame, carefully he cupped the small flame and used his torso to block the wind, feeding more paper to the hungry fire. Pretty soon it grew in size and Keith backed away, rubbing his arms to try and warm up, he scooted as close as he could safely be. Lanced watched the dazzlingly flame flicker as the wind stirred it’s fuel and made it grow brighter, a shadow falling along Keith's face as it swayed. Lance didn’t have enough time to admire how sharper the shadow made Keith features look before Keith was picking up one of the fish. Lance watched him curiously as Keith dragged the knife towards the fish and cringed as Keith worked it. 

Taking the knife in a firm grasp Keith started to cut the dorsal fin off the fish, moving onto the fins adoring the side of the creature he did the same thing, Lance sank a little lower into the sea. Was all of that really necessary to eat a simple fish? Shivering, Lance continued to watch and his discomfort only grew as Keith opened the gills, slicing them out of the poor creature. Grabbing the fish by the tail, the Avian used the spine of his weapon to remove the scales, going against them and their pattern leaving Lance to hug his waist. Keith wouldn’t do that to him, surely not. A lump started to well into his throat, he felt exposed and dry as Keith took the knife and started to gut the dead fish, he couldn’t possibly watch anymore and decided to wait until Keith was done to ask his questions. Keith had failed to notice Lance’s discomfort until the boy- merman- had disappeared under the cool waves. He blinked, looking down at the second fish he was working on and frowned. Maybe doing this in front of Lance wasn’t such a good idea, in hind’s sight. Returning to the task at hand, he stuck the fish with his knife and began the process all over again, cooking each fish to perfection by using his knife as a stick. The process took much longer, so naturally by the time he was done, he had finished the food rather quickly in famished gulps. 

When Lance finally revealed himself, Keith was slowly chewing his last fish, spices would defiantly make the meal tastier but he couldn’t be picky. He was just grateful for being able to have food and not starve, pausing in his eating Keith stared at the cooked meat, trying to stay as nonchalant as he could.

“Thanks for the fish and all,” Was all he muttered before going back to bite the food. That seemed to work as Lance beamed, his earlier discomfort forgotten, it seemed Lance loved the praise and attention. 

“Yeah, Yeah, all in a day’s work!” Lance waved his hand dismissively but Keith didn’t miss the genuine smile that dusted his tanned cheeks. “So, why can’t you just like eat fish raw? Doesn’t your body fight off bacteria?” He asked confidently, not caring if the question could cause any offense, Keith would just have to learn to not be so sensitive all the time. 

“Well yeah, it can, but not in the sense you can. Look,” Keith tried to explain but this was more of something everyone knew without having to inform someone. As you grew, you just tend to pick it up, how was he suppose to explain something so common and simple and obvious to Lance? “It’s complicated.” He finished after a subtle pause. 

“Clearly, and what’s up with your two tails there?” Lance continued, brows scrunching as he pestered.

“It’s called legs, not tails. And what do you mean whats up with them?” Keith copied the expression, just as confused.

“They don’t seem pretty effective to swim with.” Lance mumbled, taking it upon himself to be seated on the sandy ledge. 

“Well of course they aren’t, I don’t live in the ocean so why would they? Your tail doesn’t seem to help you on land.” Keith flashed back defensively.

“You have a point there!” Lance grinned, the heat of the fire pleasant but made him scoot back a little anyways. Even though they did have distance between them, the heat still bounced off the cave walls and caressed Lance’s skin. He hoped with Keith’s close proximity to it, he was helping him get warm. 

And Keith was, he could feel his temperature rising the longer he stayed by the fire, after more then five minutes pasted Keith felt even overheated. Now would be the time as any to get his clothes dry, or his shirt at least, there was no way he’d risk getting stark naked with Lance hanging around. Maybe when he was feeling better he could bring something back to the kind merman who had let him burn his things, Keith hadn’t missed the disappointed expression that ghosted over Lance’s face as his objects burned, after all it was the least Keith could do. The joints in his back still pained him, and the burns didn’t look too good either. Just thinking about them made the itching return and Keith groaned, as time moved on the itching became increasingly unbearable and aggravated him. Grabbing his shirt, Keith pulled off the dampened material, grunting with the effort it took. As if sensing Lance’s oncoming question, Keith draped the shirt onto a small rock close by the fire but not close enough to where the fabric could catch fire. “It’s so I don’t get as cold as quickly.”

Lance nodded, satisfied with the answer he had been given. To his surprise, Keith’s now exposed torso was revealed to him and it seemed to match his, not including the occasional scale that was placed on his sides extending from the hip where the humanoid skin met his tail. Lance wondered how they could be so different, wings and a tail, but be so similar in other things. He had imaged maybe some other feathers hiding beneath the clothes like how seagull’s bell fluff would be smooth and look so inviting for him to touch but Keith didn’t have that. He had skin and muscle, though was much paler then Lance’s own darkened complexion, just another difference and similarity. Keith didn’t notice the gawking, he was too busy trying to move his wing to look at the burns and scrapes. Each little movement hurt like hell and he wondered why he even bothered until that feeling creeped over him again, itchy and dirty coated him like a blanket. If only Shiro were here, Keith desperately missed his brother, if he had been here with him then Keith was sure he wouldn’t be feeling this uncomfortable. That his little problem would be taken care of, but instead he was here on a ledge with a merman who knew nothing of his kind, but the help was appreciated even if Keith didn't often show it. He wanted to know how bad it looked from the back of his wings, he was mostly sure there was a giant bruise on his back, but he needed to know the extend of his injuries if he was gonna be able to try and rescue his only family. 

For now, he’d have to deal with the pressing questions and irritating mixture of uncleanliness, pain, and itching until his wings were able to recover enough to let him discard the feathers. If he count get them out then he wasn’t going anywhere, if the new feathers tried to grow in while the damaged ones still sat there then his discomfort would increase tenfold, but he couldn’t ask Lance to lend a hand. He just didn’t know the guy like that, and asking for more help seemed embarrassing to him, he’d already took enough of the man’s time and resources, he couldn’t ask anymore of the nice fellow. So he answered questions as best as he could, watching the shadow fall over the cavern as the sun began to set again, Lance promised to watch over him while he rested and oddly enough that seemed to ease some concerns Keith didn’t realize he had been holding, he was beginning to like Lance. But his trust was hard to gain, Keith kept his guard up even though he thought nothing bad would happen to him, it was just pure instinct to do so. So he returned to his earlier position and closed his eyes, sleep was hard enough to come by without the nightmares that plagued him or the rising need for action to find Shiro. His eyes fluttered open for only a moment before he was being lulled by something to close them, a soft melody mixing with the tune of the ocean made the tension in his shoulders loosen, made him feel truly relaxed for the first time since he awoken here. There was a voice humming but it was rich in sound and very pleasant to the ears, sooner he realized that it was Lance who was causing his sudden tiredness he was already drifting off.


	3. Help from a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith lets Lance help with his wing problem, but lance touches something he shouldn't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm with my family, and there's no wifi or any Cell towers so Signal's hard to get so the updates will be slow and instead of weekly updates it'll have to be maybe once this month until I go back home which will be at the beginning of July! Sorry guys, but bare with me please and I promise I'll come back with more ideas and maybe longer chapters?? Dunno yet!

The next few days had passed comfortably, becoming a type of routine for the two boys. When Keith woke up, he was confronted by the sight of Lance, who during different days was caught doing different things. As Keith had suspected, Lance had the most beautiful and calming voice he’d ever heard. His voice was like the calling of the skies to an avian, something that you just wanted to follow and listen to until you parted with life. At first, Keith feared such a thing, the voice bouncing off the walls and drilling itself to Keith’s ears. He could feel the velvety tone curling around his soul, lulling it to a state of pure calm, all his worries melted away and the only thing that mattered in that moment was Lance, was his voice, was his shining scales, the cerulean eyes, the tanned skin, the grin that reached his eyes. It made Keith frightened that something so breathing taking could hold such power at a simple note. But, as Lance sang more and more to Keith, he felt his fear melt away. Lance wouldn’t hurt him, wouldn’t even think of doing so, because that’s just how Lance was. Kind and trusting and forgiving. So morning when Keith awoke and Lance was giving trills to surfacing whales or dolphins Keith was mesmerized, even though Keith couldn’t understand what he was saying to the ocean’s creatures, he didn’t mistake the fondness that crept into the tone of the call, or the way Lance seemed to melt on the rock he’d sun bath on. Keith started to notice the little things the merman did, and appreciated them even if some were found strange. He couldn’t quite place why he was so fond of the merman, he figured it was because he was starting to learn about Lance and that was why he started to trust him more everyday. 

Though with Keith's discoveries, Lance wasn’t aware that he gad an audience every time he sang to the rising sun. But he did pick up noticeable things about the Avian as well. He noticed how strong he was for a skinny frame, as Keith would descale his fish Lance would catch, Lance would focus on the flexing of his biceps as the blade would pass over the Dead Sea-dweller. Whenever Keith would start to think bout something too deeply, Lance found that Keith would scrunch his eyebrows together or bite his lip, shoulders tensing and fist balling. Whatever had happened to him, Lance was sure it was something horrible, so he tried to lighten the mood by subtle splashing to earn Keith’s attention. With passing days, Keith’s mobility was improving but he was still in clear pain or discomfort. One day, as Keith seemed particularly irritated, Lance voiced himself, hating the shift in attitude. 

“Keith, what’s up? You don’t look to good.” With a small grin, Lance rested his elbow on the ledge, resting his cheek into his palm as he stared up at the avian. 

“It’s my feathers! The feelings so irritating and I can’t fix them.” Keith complained, feeling close enough to voice what’s been bothering him so much lately. Lance seemed to hesitate, thinking about how he would respond, the last time he offered to help Keith with his feather problem he had gotten shot down. The hostility in the indigo eyes he grew to cherish making his usually bubbly personality falter. 

“I could, um, help you with that,” Lance spoke barely above a whisper. “I-If you want that is! If you don’t that’s totally fine!!” He quickly added, his gaze shifting to look at his tail as if something interesting had latched onto it. 

Keith pondered the idea, it would help him heal faster and would definitely improve his mood, he knew he couldn’t do it by himself. His pain doubling at the flight feathers that were trying to grow in the places where the damaged feathers still hung, better solve the issue before it got worse, right? With a curt nod of his head, he agreed. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Lance echoed, surprised at the answer he had gotten. Indigo eyes met his, his breath hitching in his throat at the trust he found there. 

“Okay.” Keith repeated firmly this time, gaze never wavering and he turned his back on the merman, presenting his wings to him. 

Lance’s eyes widened, he never had gotten this close to the wings before and he found himself frozen on the spot. After a moment’s silence passed between the two before he was hoisting himself onto the rocky floor. Tail hanging in the water as his gills flashed once, still not believing this was happening. He tried his hands off on the stone, resting his fingers over the arch of Keith’s wing, shuttering at how soft it felt even through the grime that coated the beautiful feathers. With a flash of embarrassment Lance found himself flushing, he had no idea what he was suppose to do, he didn’t even think he ever would get this far. “Um, Keith? Could you walk me through this.. I uh, I’m not exactly sure what to do here.”

Keith was glad that his back was turned so Lance couldn’t see how the single touched affected him, it had been so long since Keith had felt the touch of another on his wings, the warmth that slipped past Lance’s hand and burrowed into his own wing left him a blushing mess. He was hyper focused on the feeling, hands gripping tightly onto the fabric of his jeans as Lance’s sheepish sounding words floated through the air. With a start, Keith cleared his throat, speaking cooly. “Any feathers that don’t look straight or are bent or damaged, pull them out. Make sure you give them a good tug or else they’ll stay there.” He informed, straightening up. Lance nodded, it dawning on him that Keith couldn’t see him and he responded with a brief okay. 

Taking a very scorched feather, Lance felt it just to make sure he was pulling the right one. It felt crisp and rugged against his skin, his fingertips brushing past what felt like a small bend in the harder middle of the feather, making a mental note to ask Keith about it, Lance gave a small tug making Keith tense, the feather still rooted in his wing. 

“You need to pull harder, Lance.” Keith spoke through gritted teeth, Making Lance frown.

“This hurts, doesn’t it? Can’t we get them out another way? A less painful way?” He asked, concern dripping in his tone making Keith shiver. 

“Yeah it hurts a bit but let’s just get this over with, there’s no other way to do this.” Keith curtly nodded his head trying to reassure the nervous merman behind him. 

With a sigh, Lance took the feather into his hands and gave a hard yank earning a jerk from the avian’s wings, his eyes quickly closed and he held a breath before daring to look. In his hands he held the feather, Keith muttering a ‘good job’ before Lance took hold of another damaged feather and pulled it free, allowing the feathers to be discarded once they were out. This continued, each jerk of Keith’s wings made Lance frown, with how big they were the job took about thirty minutes for each wing until Lance was done. Keith did feel better and his wings felt lighter, the irritable itching feeling that had been pestering him for so long was vaguely there, the feeling of Lance’s fingers brushing through his outer feathers, gentle as the ocean’s breeze made his stomach turn. The sea-dweller worked on the clumps of feathers that stuck together, getting any sand out from them and chipping away the salt that stayed from when he had first saved the Avian. Keith relaxed under the gentle caress, Keith knew full well that the softer side would feel much better but that wasn’t something he could allow Lance to touch, that part was meant for his mate to touch, or someone who was held dear to his heart. He’d have to tidy up that part himself.

Lance straightened, set-aline, and de-crusted both wings but now as he felt the newly clean feathers, he couldn’t stop himself from continuing to touch them. When he glided his hands down them it felt softer then a current, he had said just to make sure he didn’t miss anything but Lance couldn’t fool himself. He was entranced by the big and gorgeous wings ever since he had laid eyes on them, the colors something he’d never seen before on a tail or other seagulls. They were unique and entirely screamed Keith, it was one of the most defining traits about the boy, the sharpness of the colors and how fierce they made him seem when flying was what made it him and nobody else. Lance admired that fully. Keith had trouble keeping his eyes open, and even more trouble trying to respond to Lance when he spoke to him about what he was about to do so Keith wouldn’t be surprised and could protest or reject it whenever he felt like. The amount of care Lance treated him with could be mistaken for another Avian who understood what exactly this moment meant. 

Keith couldn’t help the groan that left his lips, though he immediately regretted it and felt his cheeks heat up but didn’t move away from the gentle hands of the merman. Lance didn’t seem to notice, too entranced with tracing the patterns on the feathers. Keith could feel every stroke of the webbed hand along his wings, every flick of the wrist as Lance would brush from the top of his wings to the very bottom, setting whatever displaced feathers back into line with the others. He should’ve asked Lance to do this sooner, He thought with a lazy grin. He rolled his shoulders into the touch, Lance paused for a moment but kept going with a smile gracing his face. Keith wasn’t as tough as he acted, he could see that now, all traces of his usual scowl had disappeared the moment the damaged feathers were discarded. True, some areas Lance couldn’t touch because of the scabs and burns but he did his best to take Keith’s mind off of those areas and it seemed to be working. He glanced at the bundle of muscle, an arch, he thought it was called. Lance wasn’t really sure exactly what was what but he trailed his hand to the top, feeling the soft touch of it ghost over his fingers. He followed the pathway of the feathers, pausing and restarting the stroke lower then where he originally began, and continued to do this until he got to where the wing met skin and disappeared into the avians back. 

Keith’s breathing stilled, holding in his breath as Lance touched the place where his joints met his back, the most sensitive of areas and here was Lance feeling it up. It made Keith a little mad but the wave of satisfaction and pleasure made his spine tingle and his nerve die down, he shuddered, and Lance did it again. This time Keith snapped out of his stupor with a small squeak and a very flushed face, his wings curled around his body on instinct and he fell forward just barely face planting into the ledge under him. Lance was very surprised to say the least at the reaction, what had just happened? Keith looked at Lance with his eyes widened, face pale unless you completely miss the redness swelling up all over the Avian’s features as he panted shallowly. In his confusion, Lance realized his hand laid outstretched as if Keith’s wing was still right there, clearing his throat he retracted his arm to rest at his sides. Worry making his eyebrows scrunch up.

“Uh, Keith? You okay there?” 

The response he had gotten was late, Keith turning his head to the ground and placing a hand over his chest. “Perfectly.. Perfectly f-fine.”

It didn’t take a genius to realize that he was lying, had Lance accidentally hurt him in some way? Couldn’t have, Keith’s face was too bright for it to be taken as a sign of pain. His shiny indigo eyes seemed to tell him more then anything what Keith seemed to be feeling. Confusion, anger, something else was resting in the depths of his eyes but Lance couldn’t place exactly what that was. Love? No. Pride? Definitely not. Resistance? Possibly. Trying to figure this out was giving Lance a headache, as gently as he dared to push Lance spoke up once more. “Are you sure? ‘Cuz with what just happened you were acting like I had touched your t-… wait.”

If someone had just recklessly touched Lance’s own tail without warning, he knew he would’ve freaked out, maybe by touching that particular spot was just like groping someone’s tail mindlessly. Shit. If that’s what just happened, Lance face palmed, mentally cursing himself out as a faint blush of embarrassment made his tanned cheeks go rosy. “Keith, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know! I-I didn’t mean to! Sorry! Sorry!”

“I-It’s alright! It’s fine!” Keith quickly objected though he didn’t know why he felt like he had to do so. Lance just carelessly touched the nape of his wing! He should be giving the sea-dweller a piece of his mind, not trying to make him feel less guilty, why did seeing Lance so strung-up like that make him feel bad too? It’s not like he had done anything wrong!

In order to avoid looking Lance in the eyes, Keith focused on the inside of his wings, he needed to set them straight as well and brush the sand from them too. So he set to work fixing his feathers as Lance watched him, Keith’s own hands didn’t feel nearly as good as Lance’s when he brushed through the first layer of feathers, why was he thinking about that? His face couldn’t seem to lose it’s red glow and Keith loathed that. Lance carefully slipped back into the water, he almost hadn’t realized how dry he had gotten from staying up there so long so, when the water welcomed him back he sighed his thanks. He couldn’t wait to tell Hunk and Pidge about today, maybe leaving out the part he had just manhandled Keith’s wing, to save them both from more embarrassment. Come to think of it, Lance hadn’t asked Keith about them comping along for a visit, Pidge had begun to grow tiresome of being away and even Hunk seemed a little curious the more Lance told them about the talks they had or how friendly Keith was turning out to be. 

Sinking lower into the water, he could feel his confidence returning as the waves softly lapped at the cavern walls. Rising up a little higher he called out to the flyer. “Yo, Keith! I have some friends, Pidge and Hunk, and they really wanna meet you. They helped me get to you when we saw you take out the Galra ship. Don’t worry, they’re really nice and friendly! But if you’re uncomfortable with that then that’s okay too. No pressure.”

Keith pondered over what he had just heard, he did remember seeing a flash of other colors before he had pasted out, though he did feel some suspicious churn his stomach. Lance kept talking, seeming to notice Keith’s anxieties.

“Pidge is a small little thing, always wearing this weird net around her hips, she claims it’s fashionable but I wouldn’t exactly call that stylish. She’s a little nerdy and will probably ask you ten million different questions about everything but she’s cool. She’ll know when to stop. And Hunk’s the best cook, he has this extra sense for the stuff! He’s so dependable too, I trust the guy with my life. He hasn’t let me down yet and I have faith that he never will, they’re covering for me currently so I-“

“I’ll meet them.”

“ Can come see- wait what? Say that again?” Lance asked incredulous, he was assuming a no, considering the incident that just took place. 

“I said I’ll meet them. You’ve known these guys for a while, it seems, and you trust them. I’ll meet them.” Keith repeated, keeping his wing as outstretched as he could manage as he fixed his feathers, gaining some color besides pink in his skin. 

“Really? I can promise you, you won’t regret this! I’ll go tell them later though, we both know you’ll like die here without my awesome company.” Lance beamed, trying to hide some of the excitement he felt. This was great! Maybe now, things could evolve into some weird sort of friendship between all of them, that’d be pretty interesting. 

Keith chuckled, turning his face to see the broad smile slapped across Lance’s face. “You can go tell them now, I beat more then one Galra ship you know. I don’t need you protecting me.” He teased but there was some sincerity laced into the sentence. Whether Lance caught it was anyone’s guess. 

“Great! I’ll go tell them right now!” Lance spun around and dove into the ocean’s depths, beating his tail as quickly as he could maneuver it, sending a few splashes Keith’s way. 

_____________________________________________________________________

It took a while but Lance made it back quicker then he usually did, stopping at Pidge’s home. He invited himself in, as he usually does, and went straight to the makeshift lab in her room. With his sudden entrance, Pidge was surprised to say the least and threw the nearest object she had towards him. Lance snickered and made his way over to her side as she shouted at him that he ‘can’t just appear like that’. 

“Okay so, what’d you birdie tell you this time that’s got you this excited?” Pidge placed a hand on her hip, scowling at his intrusion. To hell if he was a prince, he could learn a thing or two about manners and privacy. 

“I talked to him, well while I was helping him clean his wings, and he said that you could come and see him! He’s totally cool with it and everything! All I had to do was use my charms.” Lance taunted, not missing the grin that replaced the previous scowl on his friend’s face. 

“He’s really okay with it? And what do you mean you helped him clean his wings?” Pidge questioned with a small tilt of her head, chirping her confusion. 

“Well apparently, you have to pull the ugly feathers out or something. He didn’t really explain. But they were so soft Pidge! It was like touching a current! And the feathers were so pretty, maybe a little damaged and, uh, needed some work but they were still as pretty as the sirens in the tropics. And they had these really strong muscles in them, I could feel it beneath all the feathers and stuff. It was amazing!” Lance gushed, hands cupping his face at the memory that happened not too long ago. 

“Slow down there! You think he’d let me touch them too?” Pidge giggled, nudging his arm.

“Maybe, I don’t really know but you’ll find out tomorrow! I’ll introduce you and Hunk!”

“There’s only one problem with this Lance.” She lost her grin, her expression growing serious. 

“What’s up?” He followed her lead, looking down at her with respect, because he did respect Pidge and her opinions. She proved herself to be right, mostly all the time, and had wormed her way into his heart. 

“Someone has to stay and cover for us. Only one of us can meet Keith, and I doubt he’d appreciate me or Hunk swimming in alone, we’re complete strangers to him. And then after he meets one of us, he should be able to get some time to get used to us before introducing someone else entirely new.” Pidge flicked her tail. The ends of the net following the small stream she made.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right on that one. But who’ll stay?” Lance deflated, he didn’t know who he should choose for this! He couldn’t even choose which route to take to his secret cave sometimes. 

“Well, I can talk with Hunk about it and we’ll Come up with something.”

Lance groaned, things were falling into place and now it was being ruined, sometimes he wished he didn’t have to be related to the queen. His life would be easier then, and they could just all go exploring together and meet and see new things that no one has before. 

“Tell you what, At our place, one of us will be there. Just meet up with us there and whoever you find will meet Keith. Okay?”

“Yeah, Okay Pidge. I should probably get back before I’m missed too much.” He quickly regained his composure to his happy-go-lucky-self and waved to his friend before leaving. He wondered how long he’d be able to keep this up, or if anyone’s noticed yet. He didn’t know how he’d feel if someone found out what he was up to. He didn’t want Hunk or Pidge to get in trouble either, suppressing his thoughts he swam back to his home to tell Hunk the news. Hunk was most likely in the kitchen making snacks or helping out the cooks there. He just hoped that this conversation would go as smoothly as it did with Pidge and that Pidge would manage to solve his indecisive problem.


End file.
